How to report a problem with your home
Problems with your home should be reported to us as soon as possible.
Please give us clear information on exactly what the problem is along with your name, address and contact details. We may ask you to take photographs and send them to us and in some circumstances we may be able to help you resolve the problem yourself.
If we make an appointment to visit your home to assess the problem or to carry out a repair, please be in for the appointment or tell us in advance if you can’t be in.
If you have a repair, how long will it take to fix the problem?
This will depend on the problem you are reporting, we will prioritise problems with your home based on the details you provide us when you report it to us. Most problems will fit into one of the following categories.
Emergency
This is something which has the potential to:
- Cause danger to someone’s health and safety or;
- Cause immediate serious damage and destruction to a property, home or building.
Where possible we will complete emergency repairs the same day. If we are unable to do this then we aim to complete them within 24 hours of them being reported.
Routine
These are non-emergency issues and they will be assessed and prioritised based on the type of issue being reported and the level of inconvenience to you and your individual needs.
We will aim to get to you as soon as possible, but in most circumstances, it will be within 20 working days. We may need to arrange for someone to inspect the issue before we book a repair, and appointments may be grouped together based on where you live.
Regular servicing
This includes statutory and regulatory requirements such as gas and electrical safety checks etc. and other health and safety works that are required to keep people safe in their homes.
Failure to regularly complete such safety checks may put you, your neighbours, our staff and property at risk. Reasonable access must be given to the council and our contractors, failure to do so may result in legal action being taken.
Planned or regular maintenance
This is work that is not required to be completed immediately, but is needed to keep the property in long term good order. It is important that you allow us access to carry out planned maintenance work in your home and we will ensue we give you as much notice as possible.
Planned work requires specification and planning and is generally grouped together and then carried out as part of a programme of works. It includes things like:
- Roof repairs
- Kitchen or bathroom replacements
- Whole home improvements, such as fitting energy efficiency measures to help make your home more economical to heat
Regular maintenance includes things like:
- External painting and decorations.
Improving or altering your home
You may be able to make improvements or alterations to your home, provided you obtain our written permission before you carry out any work.
We may ask for further details of the work you are planning to do and the qualifications of those doing it. We may also ask you to reinstate the home to the way it was before when you leave.
Some alterations will require planning consent and we can advise you on this.
Flooring
We do not normally provide carpets or other floor coverings in void properties. If there were floor coverings when you moved in these are normally 'gifted' to you and you will need to replace them if they become damaged.
We may also ask you to remove them when you move out if they are not in a suitable condition for the next tenant.
Please do not use laminate or wooden flooring in flats above ground floor as this can often cause a noise nuisance for tenants below.
TV aerials
If your home is not serviced by a communal TV aerial you will need to provide one yourself unless it has been left in situ by the previous tenant. In either case, maintaining or replacing it is your responsibility.
Aerials are not allowed to be positioned on chimney stacks. If your television is serviced by a communal TV aerial and a fault occurs, please first check to ensure that your own equipment is not at fault.
Check with a neighbour to see if they have the same problem. If this is the case, please contact us, but bear in mind this type of repair is not considered to be an emergency.
Cable TV and satellite
Your home may have the facility to be connected to cable TV, please contact us if you’re not sure. You will need our written permission if you wish to install a satellite dish as there are planning rules around the positioning of it which need to be taken into consideration.
What we expect of you
- Problems with your home are reported promptly
- Only call our ‘out of hours’ line if it is an emergency
- That you look after your home, keeping it clean, tidy and free from damage or neglect
- improving or altering your home
What you can expect from us
- A home that is safe, secure and well maintained
- We will aim to respond within the timescales stated here
- We will not unreasonably refuse you permission to make positive changes to your home